The Birth of the Dwarves
"You can no longer be called humans. From now on, you'll be known as dwarves."
"Dwarves...?"
"It has a similar ring to the elves who live in the Great Forest. What does it mean?"
What does it mean, you ask...? If I told them it means "dwarf" in another world's language, they'd probably get hurt. It's not nice to tease people about their physical shortcomings!
Well, even though I made them short.
"It means 'sages of the earth.' Doesn't it suit you, who dig through the ground in search of new things?"
Of course, that's a complete bald-faced lie. But sometimes, a white lie is necessary.
"Ooh... What a splendid name that truly fits us. Thank you! Thank you!"
The humans—no, the dwarves now—were deeply moved and showered me with gratitude.
I'd done it all out of my own selfish desires, yet here they were thanking me... It felt kinda weird.
I gazed at the transformed dwarves. They'd gotten shorter overall, but their physical abilities had grown even stronger. Like compressed muscles—short and stocky, but thick and solid. Sturdy, robust bones. Tough, elastic muscles that wouldn't snap easily. Respiratory capacity that held up even in low-oxygen environments. On top of that, exceptional resistance to fire and heat. Darkvision sharp enough to see clearly in pitch-black caves. And dexterity so precise they could carve intricate details with simple tools.
Having fulfilled every single one of their requests, it was hard to believe these had ever been human. But it wasn't my fault they'd turned into something like this. Really, not my fault at all.
Hmm... Isn't this what real favoritism looks like? I straight-up created a cheat race.
Though, shockingly, if you just compare raw physical strength, the lizardmen are even tougher. Those guys were originally dinosaurs or something—or maybe because they had dragon potential. They're freakishly strong. Thank goodness their poor thermoregulation makes them vulnerable to environments.
Well, that's probably why they survived that dragon war.
And these new dwarves? Weaker than the lizardmen, sure, but still plenty strong. I'd put real care into sculpting their bodies! Shortness is the only flaw!
Eh, something like that.
And so, the dwarf race was born into the world.
Oh, by the way, I set female dwarves to look like little kids. They stay youthful forever, never aging in appearance—and the women oddly loved it. Otherwise, they'd have been beardless male dwarves. I couldn't stomach that. Getting chills just thinking about it... My manly nightmares end here.
With Sagarmatha's permission, the dwarves settled on a nearby peak. For now, they were just building crude huts to form a village.
Given time, they'd construct a proper city. Maybe hollow out the mountain for a massive underground metropolis? Or carve into cliffsides? Either way, it'd be an exciting dwarven city.
I could nudge them that way with a little help, but too much meddling isn't good. I'd already interfered plenty—let's ignore that. Ignore.
"But is it really okay to settle here?"
"We prefer being close to mountains, so this is plenty."
The dwarf declared confidently. It looked good on him... but in my eyes, this spot had some risks.
And that risk? Food supply.
"Your bodies are stronger now, but as a side effect, you'll need even more food. Settling on a barren ridge like this... Farming's out of the question."
Terraced fields might work, but these humans couldn't manage that yet.
"We'll hunt. We're pros at traps anyway. We've always been nomads, never tried farming."
Traps... With their dexterity, that could work, but...
"You've chopped down every tree on the nearby mountains, turning them bald. How do you expect to lure game in that?"
"Sure, prey's scarcer, but we'll manage. Worst case, go farther afield. We've always found a way, and we will again."
So optimistic. Troubling...
"If food runs short, we trade our bronzeware elsewhere for more. It's popular stuff."
Ah, so that's how they'd sustained themselves in this harsh land—crafting bronze tools for food trades.
"We'll go hungry on the trips, but what can you do? Wait it out. At least the water's clean and pure. Fill up on that if needed."
I sighed at the dwarf's calm smile. Hope they don't all starve...
Hmm... I want to help. What food sources are available now...? Water's clean, so fishing's possible, but not enough for everyone. They can't swim like lizardmen with those stubby limbs.
Even fishing wouldn't feed the whole population.
Hmm. Other options...
Then a memory flashed: caves and mushrooms. I'd heard somewhere they grow mushrooms in caves. If I adapt that...
It could help these dwarves a bit. Moss too—make it edible, even if undignified...
But compared to real food, it'd fall short... Wait, no—I can tweak it myself. Make it nutritious but meh-tasting. Cave- and mountain-friendly.
Yeah. Mushrooms like button mushrooms, fast-growing and calorie-dense. A few suffice for energy. Flavor's secondary! Too tasty, and they'll eat nothing else—gotta balance nutrition!
Bonus: Edible moss scattered across nearby mountains, valleys, caves. Tell 'em to harvest later. Might feel weird, but like eating seaweed.
Tree roots too when desperate—they'll figure it out.
And the moss? Absorbs CO2, releases oxygen for steady air quality. Perfect for deep caves—no ventilation shafts needed. With this, they'll dig without suffocating.
Fantasy world, so magic moss is fine!
"Eat mushrooms and moss?"
"Yeah. Tweaked 'em for stable cave farming. Might seem unfamiliar, but..."
"We've avoided mushrooms as dangerous, but these are safe?"
"Cook 'em—raw might have toxins."
"Fascinating! How do we grow them?"
The dwarf showed huge interest in the new food. Such a curious bunch.
"Easy. Spores on dead wood—they'll spread themselves. Prep the wood, and it'll multiply."
In other words, no dead wood, no growth. Can't have wild mushrooms everywhere.
"Keep humidity right, and they'll thrive. Made that way."
"Amazing plant."
"Not technically a plant, but anyway—now moss."
"Moss! That weird grass on valley rocks?"
"Close. Tweaked it to be edible."
Mushrooms alone skew nutrition. Moss provides basics.
Meat's ideal, though. Meat. Yeah.
"This moss also produces what you need to breathe. Line deep caves with it—no suffocation."
"What we need to breathe...? Like what you mentioned for big fires?"
"Yep. Oxygen."
No need for full science yet.
"I made these for you—treasure them."
I handed over a mushroom-laden log and mossy rock.
"Already growing in caves nearby—use 'em well."
"Thank you...!"
Hmm, handing this out freely... Favoritism? New race needs the boost, right? Didn't do much for beastkin or giants, though!